Morning Reads: Cruz Goes on 10-Day Fundraising Tour; BP Drops ALEC

As we continue our effort to keep you up-to-date with all the news on how money continues to corrupt American government and politics, BillMoyers.com is pleased to publish this daily digest of money and politics news compiled and edited by Adam Smith, communications director of the non-partisan campaign finance reform group, Every Voice.

With the announcement done, the real work of running for president begins: “Ted Cruz will launch a 10-city fundraising tour Monday, POLITICO has learned, designed to leverage momentum from his presidential campaign kick off. The goal is to raise at least $1 million over the coming week, and to make progress toward the campaign’s goal of raking in at least $40 million over the course of the primary campaign.”

On how he’s probably going to have some trouble raising money from GOP establishment and K Street. He raised $500k yesterday, “60 percent from major donors.” Texas Tribune. OpenSecrets.

And four opinion pieces to read today:

Franciscan Action Network’s Patrick Carolan writes for Sojourners on the Pope’s recent remarks on money in politics: “We applaud the Pope’s efforts in this struggle and encourage him to amplify his call for a more representative system for funding elections when he addresses Congress in September.” Also a nod to the need for an executive order for contractor disclosure.
Katrina vanden Heuvel writes in The Washington Post on the success of public financing systems in places like Maine and New York, profiling Maine State Rep. Dianne Russell: “I have no business being in politics. I wasn’t groomed for this. But thanks to public financing, I have a voice. And thanks to public financing, a gal who takes cash for the convenience store for selling sandwiches can actually talk about the stories that she’s learned from behind the counter.” With a nod to the Government By the People Act.
And The Washington Post editorialized this weekend on Montgomery County’s public financing system and the missing money for it in the first round of budget talks.
Campaign Legal Center’s Paul Ryan in POLITICO on noncandidates for 2016: “So why is the press allowing them to get away with this apparent fiction? As reporters cover the daily activities of these nascent presidential campaigns, they’re ignoring what should be a major story.”

Campaign Finance/Elections

Roll Call: Bipartisan Pair Volunteers to Get Schooled on House Ethics –> Good for them: “Reps. Scott Rigell, (R-VA), and David Cicilline, (D-RI), made a Monday afternoon appointment with House Ethics Committee staff to get schooled on congressional ethics, taking advantage of what Cicilline described as a ‘natural time’ to think about the rules governing the behavior of members and how those rules are enforced.”

WaPo: Supreme Court lets Wisconsin’s voter ID law stand –> “The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a challenge to Wisconsin’s 2011 law requiring voters to present photo identification, but the state’s attorney general said the law will not be in effect for next month’s elections in the state.” But maybe it’s a “blessing in disguise,” Rick Hasen writes. The Nation. The Atlantic: what if we made elections fun again?

NYT: First Amendment, ‘Patron Saint’ of Protesters, Is Embraced by Corporations –> “These days, a provocative new study says, there has been a ‘corporate takeover of the First Amendment.'”

Billings Gazette: ‘Dark Money’ Legislation Is Simply the Right Thing to Do –> On the ongoing debate in Montana about the bipartisan dark money disclosure legislation: “This isn’t about giving one side an advantage over another. It’s about disclosure, transparency and accountability.” Op-ed in Missoulian by CB Pearson.

CREW: FEC Finally Closes Fiesta Bowl case, Levies $96,000 in Fines.–> “After nearly four years, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has resolved CREW’s complaint against the Fiesta Bowl and its executives for violating campaign finance laws by reimbursing Fiesta Bowl executives for campaign contributions to Arizona politicians.”

Congress/Admin/2016

WaPo: Are You Rich? Here’s How Much You Can Donate to Candidates in 2016 –> Another reminder of how much money most of you won’t be able to give to federal candidates in 2016.

WaPo: Jeb Bush Super PAC Juggernaut Heads to California Next Week –> With lots of Bush 2 types: “Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is swinging through California next week as part of a nonstop fundraising tour raking in millions for a super PAC set up to back his expected presidential bid.” He’ll also raise money with his brother, which “steps on his ‘own man’ message.”

Yahoo: Secret $1.5 Million Donation From Wisconsin Billionaire Uncovered in Scott Walker Dark-Money Probe –> A secret $1.5M donation to a pro-Scott Walker group revealed: “[John] Menard’s previously unreported six-figure contributions to the Wisconsin Club for Growth — a group that spent heavily to defend Walker during a bitter 2012 recall election — seem to have paid off for the businessman and his company. In the past two years, Menard’s company has been awarded up to $1.8 million in special tax credits from a state economic development corporation that Walker chairs, according to state records.”

WaPo: Aaron Schock’s Downfall Tells Us We Need to Look at Political Spending as Well as Giving –> Good piece from Mark Schmitt on Aaron Schock and the stories that brought him down: “But following the money forward, looking at what it buys and how it influences the choices that elected officials make, is just as important.”

WaPo: There Is a ‘Draft Joe Biden’ Super PAC Now. It’s Even Hiring a Fundraiser. –> “The Draft Joe Biden super PAC is finally here, formally filing with the Federal Election Commission last week. And it’s hiring an ‘experienced fundraising consultant’ to catch up.”

WaPo: GOP Hopefuls Set to Attend Fundraiser at David Koch’s Palm Beach Mansion –> I missed this Friday about an event with David Koch the other day: “A group of White House hopefuls, including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, are scheduled to make a pilgrimage to the oceanfront estate of the billionaire industrialist on Sunday afternoon.”

NaJo: Oil Giant BP Drops Membership With ALEC –> Wow: “Major oil-and-gas corporation BP announced Monday it is parting ways with the American Legislative Exchange Council, marking just the latest — and likely most significant — departure of a blue-chip company from the conservative group in recent months, National Journal has learned.”

The Hill: Longtime GOP Aide Opens Lobby Shop –> “Senate GOP veteran Rob Epplin has launched his own lobbying and consulting firm. He spent the last two and a half years at Gephardt Government Affairs — a firm that’s run by Former House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt (Missouri) — after devoting more than two decades serving in various roles in the Senate.”

Other/States

Indy Star: Indiana Senate Panel Poised to Close Ethics Loophole –> “An Indiana Senate committee on Monday proposed closing a loophole that allows ex-state officials to circumvent a one-year cooling-off period so they can work for companies they once regulated.”

Bismarck Tribune: ND Secretary of State to Review Federal Election Laws –> “Questions about a Canadian contribution to a Grand Forks state legislator’s campaign have prompted the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office to review how federal election laws apply to state candidates.”

To read more go to everyvoice.org.

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